S.A.’s Vanessa stole ‘Race’ opener with racy yell

Right out of “The Amazing Race” gate, it came through loud and clear that San Antonio’s Vanessa Macias definitely has the right stuff for a TV reality show: lots of get up and go and a tendency to say risqué things that make memorable sound bites.

“My uterus is in my throat!” she yelled when she was forced to jump out of a plane from 10,000 feet to get to a location in Argentina.

Thankfully, a drop professional was with her and the other 10 skydiving contestants to make sure their parachutes got activated properly.

Still, Macias did remind me in a recent CBS interview that she is afraid of heights, even if she was charged with doing skydiving once before as correspondent “Daring Vanessa” on “Great Day SA” during the early incarnation of the KENS show.

Macias, and her “Race” partner, Ralph Kelley, a local personal trainer with big muscles, tattoos and a friendly manner, also aced the next challenge: making more than 100 empanadas – one half meat, the other half cheese.

The hardest part was to do this to the satisfaction of a stern female chef who wasn’t above sending you back if the crimping wasn’t done correctly.

Vanessa didn’t seem to view this as a problem  coming from a Latin family in San Antonio and all.

She and Ralph (at right) seemed to ace the challenge; however they still finished the first leg of the race behind four others, earning the rank of Team Five at the end.

First place was earned by Dave and Rachel, an Army man and his wife, who also claimed the coveted Express Pass which would allow them to bypass many detours and obstacles as the race continues.

The team eliminated? Two sisters, Misa and Maiya, who may have been second to last in finishing their empanadas, but for some crazy reason, couldn’t spot host Phil Keoghan and the finish mat. Instead, they ran here, there and everywhere, allowing last-place empanada finishers, the all-thumbs male team from New York, to get the 10th and last spot.